You Take The Breath Right Out Of Me

Even as a child, Carter Lacroix knew that he was different. He didn't find super models or actresses hot, instead, he would fawn over actors and look at professional sports athletes. That was when he could actually find a television to watch. As a child, he and his sister and their two brothers had basically fended for their selves. Everyone knew how much of a drunk Harris Lacroix was, yet nobody stepped in to do anything.

Perhaps it was because of that gene in his father that Carter had such a love for alcohol. The fact that he tended bar every night at R Bar. He found the name clever, R Bar. It made every guest sound like a barman when they told their lovers or asked their friends where they were going.

However, he didn't want to tend bar. He would have loved to be the one on stage, singing. They didn't need fruity acoustic music like that Jacen boy came in to play every now and again, they needed hard and pounding southern rock.

Sighing, he dragged his gaze away from the stage to see a blonde walk in. He was sure he had seen him before, maybe while getting a check up? Smiling he looked at him, "Welcome to R Bar, what R you going to drink tonight?"

God how he hated that slogan....

Jay sighed as he parked his car, his hand tugging on the sleeve where his scars were. After a long day of school and clinic he had been hoping to go home and go to bed early, but his uncle had nixed that idea right in the bud. Thanks to his uncle hosting a "business dinner" he wasn't aloud to go home for a couple hours, Jay sighed and pulled himself out of his car and into the bar. He had been there once or twice but not many times.

He looked around as he walked up to the bar, he gave a tired smile as he nodded to the bartenders question. "Yeah can i get a beer please."

"Lemme get this straight," Carter snickered as he leaned against the bar, "You walk into a place that sells all sorts of alcohol and you ask for a beer. You don't specify, you just ask for a beer. What the hell am I supposed to do with that?"

He reached under the bar and grabbed a bottle of Budweiser, "Now, if I was the one drinkin', I'd get me one of these. It's called a Budweiser. It's not light, it's not fru-fru."

Again he wrinkled his nose in distaste as he heard the music wafting through the air, "Unlike the music we have in this place..."

Jay chuckled quietly to himself, the bartender did have a point there. "I do know what a budweiser is.... And sorry it was just a long day... I will have a budweiser though." Jay said as he sat down. "Your not a fan of this kind of music?" He asked curiously, he was more into rock himself.

"This is a bar, not a coffee house," Carter replied when the young man asked if he liked the music that was playing, "when you walk into a bar you are supposed to hear one of two things. You are either supposed to hear rock music or country music. Acoustic music like this is meant for coffee houuses."

He sat down on his stool, "So what's your name and what's your story?"

"I'm Jay.." Jay answered, not giving his last name. While no where near as know as his uncles name, people still could put two and two together. "I'm a med student, just got finished with my clinic work for the day."

"Med student huh? Thought a guy like you would be in doing homework." Carter laughed as he set back to work. "I might have seen you around though."

"Well technically my clinic hours count as homework." Jay said, "And I've been in a few times with my brother Adam."

"Yep that's where I've seen you," nodded Carter. "I go in there when Ii got a hangober. Your brother always has the best home remedies."

Jay gave a smile, "Addy got most of the home remedies from our mother. He's the reason I went to med school

Carter grinned and nodded, "Never had a mother myself. I mean, I had a mum but she died when Nols was just a baby."

"Our passed when i was about five, we.... We moved in with our uncle after that." Jay replied, taking a drink.

"Uncle huh? Least you had someone to take care of you," shrugged Carter as he got himself abeer.

"Yeah.... I guess...." Jay murmured, taking a drink from his beer.

"You guess?" Carter asked as he cocked an eyebrow. "Did he not look after you guys?"

"He didn't even really look after his own children.... Adam basiclly raised me and our cousins.... His idea of raising was getting the cook to make us eat in our rooms while he did business."

"What kinda businsss?" Carter asked as he vstarted serving a few other guests.

"Mostly shipping he said... He doesn't like is asking about it."

"If he doesn't like talking about it then it's either really worth talking about or its something totally boring," shrugged Carter as he took another sip of his beer. He sighed as he saw Jacen get off the stage, "Finally. Hope they open up mic or turn on some real music."

Jay tilted his head at that, "Thats what Addy always said..." He said before looking at the stage, "Do they have open mic often?" He asked curiously.

"Every once in a while," shrugged Carter, "not like they ever have anyone whose worth anything singing up there. Mostly drunks who think they'll some day be big shots."

He had heard the term applied to him when he had first started singing, his father making sure he knew that everytime he picked up that guitar.

"Do you sing?" Jay asked before sipping on his beer.

Carter tried not to look to enthusiastic as he replied. Slowly he shook his head, busying himself with cleaning a class. "Me? Sing? Nah, that's for sissy's."

"Oh...." Jay said softly, "I just thought from how you were talking that you sang too." He finished his beer before playing with one sleeve.

"You don't sing do you?" Carter asked, "Cuz if ya do, I'm sorry I embarrassed you."